In Bologna, an exhibition dedicated to Georges Simenon, from his beginnings, to his travels, to his commissar Maigret

In the footsteps of Georges Simenon: an exhibition intended to be a long journey to discover the roots of his genius, retracing his travels, the documents he left behind, films from his works, and photographs taken during his reportages in France, Europe, and Africa. From April 10, 2025 to February 8, 2026, in the spaces of the Modernissimo Gallery, in the heart of Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore, the Cineteca di Bologna presents the exhibition Georges Simenon. Eight Journeys of a Novelist, curated by Gian Luca Farinelli and John Simenon. This is the first major exhibition dedicated to the writer, the result of a decade of research work on the archive kept by his son John Simenon. The event is made possible thanks to the support of the City of Bologna, the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Ministry of Culture, as well as close collaboration with Adelphi Editore.

It will witness the birth of Georges Sim, a pseudonym used by the writer in his early days, and get to know Georges Simenon, the brilliant creator of Inspector Maigret and the writer who, in searching himself, was able to recount the fears, obsessions and atmospheres of the Short Century.
As the title suggests, the exhibition itinerary will be divided into eight sections, starting in the writer’s hometown of Liège and then arriving in Paris, where his intense literary activity will kick off with the so-called littérature alimentaire, signed as Georges Sim, and where, still in his twenties, he will meet Joséphine Baker.
In 1928 Simenon will embark on a long boat trip, which he will document with photographic reportages, and the following year he will give life to the character of Maigret, definitively adopting the signature “Georges Simenon.”

The exhibition will present rare and unpublished materials, brought together for the first time and from more than ten public and private archives. These include original manuscripts and typescripts of his best-known novels, objects related to his particular writing ritual (calendars, “yellow envelopes” with plot outlines, his iconic pipes, pencils), photo albums of his first wife Tigy, and the author’s personal notes. The visual narrative of his life and work will be enriched by hundreds of photographs, with an unpublished selection of the shots taken in the 1930s during his travels. Private photo albums and correspondences with some of the greatest intellectuals, literary figures, filmmakers, photographers and publishers of the 20th century will also be on display.

“It will not be, merely, a journey through space and places traversed by the narrative,” the curators explain, “but a journey through time, from the late 19th century to the 20th century. In this journey through societies and their changes, there will be a few points of reference, which will serve as a guide for the narrative: some key-characters (his wife Tigy, the director of the ”Gazette de Liège,“ Joséphine Baker, André Gide, Jean Vigo, Federico Fellini and, of course, Commissioner Maigret) and some essential places: Liège and its Outremeuse district; the crazy and international Paris of the 1920s; the boat (the Ostrogoth) and the writer’s view of the world; the United States, where Simenon achieved international consecration; Switzerland and his studio; and Italy, which will always have a special relationship with Simenon.”

“The exhibition, in particular, will delve into the most fascinating and creative part of Simenon’s journey,” they continue, “the years between 1903 and 1936, those of his formation, his debut, up to his becoming a professional writer, author of the great ”hard novels“ and the birth of Maigret. All with the special care not to erase that mysterious aura that distinguishes the Simenonian universe, without giving in to the temptation of recounting a simple succession of events while losing sight of the complexity of the human and professional story.”

The opening of the exhibition will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the publication of Simenon’s first volume published in Italy, Letter to My Mother, published by Adelphi in April 1985.

Pictured, Georges Simenon observes the dock that reminds him of the Canal Saint Martin in Paris, detail (Milan, 1957)

In Bologna, an exhibition dedicated to Georges Simenon, from his beginnings, to his travels, to his commissar Maigret

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